Visually distinguishing between tumor tissue and healthy tissue within ten minutes using proteolytic probes†

Accurately identifying tumor tissue is crucial during surgery, especially when removing head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Our tumor-responsive probes are tailored for ex vivo diagnostics, streamlining today's complex surgical workflows and potentially enabling pathologists and surgeons to rapidly and objectively distinguish between healthy and tumor tissue. Designed based on insights from biological furin substrates and cleavage site screening, the probes detect HNSCC-associated protease activity. Within ten minutes of incubation, tumor tissue is differentiated from healthy tissue by visible fluorescence in biopsy supernatant.